Buckette
by A Concerned Individual
Summary: Snap's thoughts about Penny during Chalk Queen. Short, one-shot POV. Will make a LOT more sense if you've watched the ep before.


**Buckette**

A/N: Another ChalkZone fic… Huh. This show is so insane, and it's fun to write for. Anyways, this is a POV fic (because I haven't written one in a while), focusing on what Snap might've been thinking during Chalk Queen. I mean, throughout the entire episode, he was at the most risk of obtaining great bodily harm. Let me point out though that I've only seen the episode twice, and it was a few months back… so some of the dialogue and the order in which the lines were spoken may be a little off. 

* * *

I knew that girl was trouble. It's the same story every time: Hero falls for girl, sidekick tries to talk hero out of it, people turn on the sidekick, but regret it later when the girl betrays them and turns them over to the bad guys. 

Okay, I'd been suspicious of her at first. I've definitely warmed up to her since our first meeting, though in all sincerity I never would've called her one of my 'best friends'. But even I never suspected she'd turn on us so quickly. Now what? She's the queen of ChalkZone, and Rudy (ChalkZone's alleged 'protector') himself is powerless to stop her.

Me, even more so. I'm the one who's dangling from a rope, being lowered toward a vat of salsa. I'm shooting Rudy a dangerous look: _See, Bucko, I told ya so. I told you that girl was weird._

We never should have trusted her.

"He rejected the generous offer to become my court jester." Speaking, and referring to me, of course, was ChalkZone's new overlady herself. She's not the same quiet, brainy girl Rudy and I remember her for: now she has wily (and very eerie) hair like the bride of Frankenstein, a tattered, raggedy purple dress, and to top it all off, a golden-hued necklace with a circular pendant hanging around her neck. I wouldn't have recognized her if it weren't for her enormous red glasses. They'd always been her most distinguishable trait. 

Who would've known a sudden thirst for power and vengeance could corrupt anyone that fast... I'd like to believe that maybe, somehow, Skrawl is controlling her like a puppeteer, with strings attached to her every move, and maybe those words coming of her mouth aren't really hers at all... they're his, and she's just the one who's voicing them.

"Why are you doing this?!" Rudy finally speaks up, and for the first time, I notice the hurt in his eyes. I know he likes her. Actually, this simple fact led me to disliking the girl in the first place. She'd only pose as a distraction, I thought, and Rudy would go all googly-gaa-gaa over her. Or worse... She might start to like him back, and that could really lead to trouble.

...But I guess she doesn't, after all. Guess I was wrong about _something_.

The esteemed queen stares down my best pal. Her eyes are narrowed in spite, and by the anger that contorts her normally calm facial features, I'm half expecting her to pounce on Rudy and attack him. She doesn't; instead, she merely hisses a simple response.

"You should've helped me with my homework, Rudy."

Wait a minute...

Homework?

This is all about some stupid _homework_!?

There's no way... No way.

An evil smile tugs at the corners of her lips. "My drawings may not be very good... But they're good enough to ensure that Skrawl will be king of ChalkZone... With me as his chalk queen!" And with that, she bursts into the kind of diabolical, maniacal laughter that you'd expect to hear from an action movie's clichéd supervillain. Her arms are raised in the air, emphasizing just how loose the sleeves of her dress are.

And I realize, with horror, that I'm being lowered ever nearer to that horrible vat of salsa. I'm struggling to get free, but I know my desperate attempts are of no avail. Only a few feet separate me from my spicy demise, now. Oh, great gumballs! How did I get dragged into this?!

"Penny, old pal? Can we rethink that whole 'jester' thing?!" I plead, praying that she'd comply. But she ignores my request, and continues pulling the crank. I can feel the heat on my face, and a few stray splashes of the bubbling salsa taunting me from mere inches away.

"Rudy!" I cry, desperately. "You gotta _draw_ something!"

But at the same time, I know I'm doomed. Rudy has nothing left but a stub of chalk, and anyway, what would he draw? He only has a few seconds before I'm a goner…

And it's all that girl's fault.

Why didn't he listen to me?! I knew something was up with her from the start. Why? Because nine times out of ten, girls lead to trouble, that's why. But I will admit… she's been growing on me lately. I thought she'd proven to be a loyal friend to Rudy, even if I never considered her to be one of mine. I was even starting to like her when this little turn of events reared its ugly head…

Aw, buckette… You're a grievance.   


End file.
